Paint has long been applied as a surface coating, used primarily for protective and decorative purposes. Paint typically starts out as a liquid composition that comprises different pigments, binders and solvents. Paint can be applied to a surface manually by a user, or a “painter,” using a roller, a brush, or any number of other specialized paint-applying devices, rollers being the preferred device for applying paint to relatively large surface areas. Once applied to a surface, the paint solvent evaporates or disintegrates, leaving the pigment and binder to dry to a solid film.
In a liquid state, all paint displays a quality known as “viscosity.” Viscosity is described as the thickness of the paint and is a quality that is attributable to the nature of the solvent used. Generally speaking, the higher the viscosity, the thicker the paint is. Viscosity is a property in both alkyd and latex paints that resists flow and movement by force. The solvent used in the paint composition adjusts the paint's viscosity, such as mineral spirits in alkyds and water in latex paint. Paint is also known to be a “shear thinning” fluid. That is, it displays decreasing viscosity with increasing shear rate. Accordingly, and during application to a surface, the shear created by a paint brush or paint roller allows the paint to thin and wet out the surface evenly. Once applied, paints typically regain their higher viscosity which assists in the avoidance of drips and runs.
As alluded to above, it is well known in the art of surface painting that large surface areas can be painted using a paint roller. This is particularly true when applying paint to the interior surfaces of a dwelling, such as walls and ceilings. The typical paint roller comprises an absorbent sleeve portion, a sleeve support frame and a handle. The sleeve portion, is usually a cylindrical core having a covering, such as a pile fabric or foam rubber, and is removable from the sleeve support frame. In view of the unique configuration of the typical paint roller, paint pans or trays have also been devised as complementary paint reservoirs to allow for the absorbent sleeve of the paint roller to be “loaded” with paint prior to application.
One of the problems with paint pans or trays of current manufacture, however, is that they are capable of holding only about one quart of paint. They are also prone to paint splashes and spills. In the experience of this inventor, such paint trays also have a tendency to load the paint roller unevenly and are very tedious to work with. One of the reasons for this is that such paint trays require the painter to “even out” the paint on the roller by running it back and forth along the ramped portion of the tray before applying it to the wall (or other like surface).
Paint trays of current manufacture also tend to load the roller with paint heavier on along one side of the cylindrically-shaped roller sleeve, thereby causing uneven application and causing the painter to work the paint out on the wall. In other words, the common paint tray does not allow for an even application of paint to the roller without considerable effort and technique on the part of the painter. In the experience of this inventor, a significant amount of the time involved in the painting process is spent “loading” the roller with paint and then working out an even coating of paint on the wall, a substantial reason for seeking an improvement in the existing art.
Other shortcomings of such paint trays include the fact that they are subject to the collection of foreign debris, such as old plaster, paint, insects, etc., within the tray. This type of debris ultimately shows up on the wall while painting, thereby causing the painter to stop and take the time to remove them, which also disturbs the coating of paint that has been applied to the wall. The common paint tray simply does not filter out any foreign debris, including debris that might reside within a can of old paint that is poured into the tray.
Paint trays of current manufacture also allow the paint to “skin up,” or dry during the painting process, thereby causing the paint to thicken or leave lumps of paint remaining on the wall. They also allow the paint to dry and “cake up” on the sides of the tray, thereby making cleanup very difficult. The practical result of this is that the paint tray cannot be left full for any extended period of time without drying and becoming hard to work with. Another shortcoming of paint trays of current manufacture is that they do not allow for any place to rest or support a brush, roller, or other paint applicator when not in use other than within the pool of paint, thereby causing the applicator to become paint-soaked and sloppy.
The foregoing general paint tray arrangement is still widely used today but has been modified in recent years. For example, one configuration and construction that was devised by this inventor is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,076,225 and entitled “Paint Edger With Improved Pad And Precision Positioning Adjustment.” While the paint tray made in accordance with that concept is an improvement over the prior art, the paint tray configuration of the present invention is a substantial further improvement in that same art.
For example, the paint tray accessory and assembly of the present invention will allow a common paint tray to hold up to a gallon of paint, which is four times as much as most common trays. The device of the present invention resists splashing, slopping and spilling. It precisely loads the roller with just the right amount of paint for a smooth and even application. One key concept is that the present assembly loads the roller heavier in the center of the roller and gradually lighter towards its outside edges, thus eliminating the usual thick ridges of paint and paint build-up on the wall. It also loads the roller evenly with quick strokes across the paint tray accessory and is immediately ready for application of the paint to a wall. In this fashion, the device of the present invention transfers a smooth, even coat of paint with just one or two passes across the accessory, thereby substantially reducing painting time. In the experience of this inventor, less time is spent loading the roller and no time is wasted working out the paint on the wall. In short, the device of the present invention allows rollers, brushes and pads to be loaded quickly and evenly with no excess paint to be removed from them.
The device of the present invention utilizes a fluid regulating membrane that is disposed within an accessory element that keeps the paint in the paint tray from drying up while it is being used which results in a consistent paint job from start to finish. This element keeps the paint wet, thereby making cleanup very fast and easy. It also allows for any applicator to be set down atop the membrane without the applicator becoming soaked and sloppy.
Additionally, no time is wasted picking off foreign debris because the device of the present invention allows the painter to see and remove the debris before it gets into the paint or gets on the wall. The accessory also filters out any foreign debris in the paint itself, such as scum, hardened paint chips, and the like, leaving such debris at the bottom of the tray and such debris to be discarded after the paint job is finished.
It is also desirable that the improved assembly be used as an item that can be made available alternatively as either an originally-manufactured product or as an after-market product.